Combined cushion and swimming belt



g 13, 1940- H. M. DOIGUCHI 2,211,104

COMBINED CUSHION AND SWIMMING BELT Filed Sept. 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor AQ Q MZLyMAZ' zqtiorneys Aug. 13, 1940. H. M. DOIGUCHI COMBINED CUSHION AND SWIMMING BELT Filed Sept 6, 19:59

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Attorneys Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES COMBINED CUSHION AND SWIMlVIING BELT Henry M. Doiguchi, Schofield Barracks, Territory of Hawaii Application September 6, 1939, Serial No. 293,632

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a combined cushion and swimming belt, the general object of the invention is to provide a body formed of parts which can be inflated and said parts can be moved to a position where they form a circular cushion or can be moved apart to form a belt which can be passed around the body of a person to act to support the person in water.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the device in a position forming an air cushion.

Figure 2 is an edge view of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the device straightened out to form a belt.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 1.

As shown in these views the device comprises a plurality of substantially triangular-shaped hollow parts I which are connected together in an integral manner by a flat part 2 so that when the device is straightened out the triangularshaped parts I extend from a side edge of the flat part 2 so that the belt resembles a saw with the triangular parts forming the teeth of the saw. The centers of the front and rear side walls of the hollow triangular parts are each connected together by adhesive or the like as shown at 3 so that the tubular part of each triangular portion is three-sided and the flat part 2 is of double thickness with two thicknesses fastened together in any suitable manner and in-the same manner as are the internal parts 3 of the triangular members as shown in Figure '5. All the tubular parts are in communication with each other and a single tube 4 is connected to a triangular mem- 50 her at one end of the device which has a valve therein so that the entire device can be blown up or filled with air and when this is done the inflated portions form a plurality of triangular parts each part being of circular shape in cross section as shown at 5. Slide fastener means 6 are attached to the free side edges of the triangular parts excepting the outermost side edges so that the triangular-shaped parts can be connected together to form' a circular arrangement 5 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 when the slide members 6' are moved into operative engagement with the strips 6. One of the outermost edges of the device is formed with a' strip vl carrying parts 8 of the snap fasteners and the other outermost edge is formed with a strip 9 carrying the complementary parts ID of the snap fasteners so that the two strips I and 9 can be detachably connected together to hold the parts in a circular formation 'as shown in Figure 1. Also straps II are connected with the ends of the device, one of which carries a buckle I2 for receiving the other strap and these straps can be used for fastening the device in circular formation as shown in Figure 1 and they can also be used for fasteningthe device around the waist or other parts of the body when the device is used as a swimming belt. When used as shown in Figures 1 and 2 the device can be used as an air cushion.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes maybe made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the claimed as new is:

A life preserver belt comprising an elongated manifold of flexible material closed at its ends and adapted for inflation into substantially tubu lar form, and a plurality of dart-shaped flaps extending from one side of the manifold in adjoin- ,ingrelation and each comprising a pair of hollow side stretches intersecting at outer ends thereof and communicating at their inner ends with said manifold to be inflated therefrom, fasteners on opposite ends of said manifold whereby the ends thereof may be attached together and said 45 manifold caused to assume substantially annular form with said flaps extending inwardly therefrom; and fasteners on the sides of said flaps for securing the same together side by side within the confines of the annulus thus formed whereby said manifold andflaps form when inflated a circular flat air cushion.

HENRY M. DOIGUCHL invention, what is 

